Star Wars: The Last Jedi (My Edition)
by gygbrown
Summary: As the battle for between the First Order and Resistance rages on, Rey and Kylo continue to find their place within the galaxy. Rey now finds herself under the wing of Luke Skywalker, while Kylo has to prove himself to his Master, Snoke. It is a journey of self-discovery and choice, with neither one knowing where to go.
1. Finding Ones-Self

_Star Wars:_

 _The Last Jedi_

 _(My Edition)_

G.G. Conte

 **Chapter I**

 **Finding Ones-Self**

The planet that is Ahch-To, so beautiful and somber in its appearance. Surely, anyone who walked its many islands and gazed at its gigantic ocean would feel at home. To Rey, she was not given the chance to endure its beauty, for she had arrived on a much more important mission. A mission that she did not truly understand herself. She climbed higher and higher on one of the hills of the largest island on the planet, for it was the top of it that was her destination.

In the distance, a cloaked figure stood in deep meditation, taking no notice of her arrival. As she came closer and closer, she stared feverishly at the individual, his presence intimidating from a distance. She had already been told whom this man was, but needed to see him for herself to be sure.

When she finally reached the top, tired from her journey, she walked within mere feet of him. She stared, feeling nervous. He did not turn immediately, and gave no signs that he knew that she was there.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, he finally moved. He slowly turned his body towards her. She could not help but feel a sudden sense of foreboding, as if he were already studying her even with his back turned.

The man finally turned around to reveal the white haired and aged gentleman that was Luke Skywalker. His blue eyes gazed at Rey, and revealed a blank expression, showing that he was not quite sure of her reasoning for bothering him.

Thinking quickly, Rey reached into her bag to pull out the one thing that she knew would immediately reveal her intentions, Luke's lightsaber.

Luke's expression instantaneously went from blank to curious, his gaze never faltering. He lowered his hood, revealing his face in the light.

With only Rey's feet to guide her as her nerves continued to give out, she slowly approached Luke, still brandishing the saber in her hands, keeping it raised for Luke to grab.

When she finally reached him, Luke raised both his hands to grab the saber. It was at this moment that Rey realized that one of Luke's hands was mechanical.

He slowly took it out of her hands, his eyes switching from Rey to the lightsaber. He studied the saber in an almost uncertain way.

Rey stared at him, she could tell very quickly by his expression and reaction to the saber itself, that it was an object that held a great deal of history within his own life. He looked at it as if it were a part of him.

He then lowered it to his side and proceeded to stare at Rey once more. There was an very tense silence between the two that felt as if it went on for hours, when only minutes had actually passed.

"Welcome," Luke said, finally breaking the ice between the two. "I've waited a very long time for this day. Rey, is it?"

Rey then stared perplexed. "How did you…"

"I know a great many things," Luke interrupted her. "Many things that I'm sure you are wishing to learn yourself. Come stand by me."

While hesitant, Rey walked to Luke's side. When she did, Luke to turned towards the water, prompting her to do the same.

"Consider this sort of an orientation," Luke said. "I want you to look out into the ocean, and tell me what you see."

Rey glanced at Luke for a brief second, unsure about his request. Luke's responding expression was one of seriousness, and was enough to persuade her. She stared out into the beautiful blue water, the sound of the waves could be heard below them as they crashed against the rocks.

Rey's reasoning for being there suddenly left her for that brief moment as she was struck by the planets sheer beauty. For all of her life, she had been use to a waterless, sandy environment. This was beyond anything she had ever seen before.

As the amazement over the beauty wore off, she realized that she still didn't quite understand Luke's question. She thought to herself quickly for some type of response.

"I see the ocean," she answered hesitantly.

Luke gave a slight smile. "Well, you're a perceptive one." This response caused both of them to laugh slightly. "That's not what I mean. What feelings do you see?"

He then put his hands on both of her shoulders and turned her in the direction of the water again. It was merely seconds before she had her answer.

"Peace," she answered.

"Very good," Luke said, nodding his approval. "It's one of the main ingredients to being a Jedi. You need to be at peace with yourself…and yet, I sense that you are not quite there yet."

This statement brought nothing but confusion to Rey. She turned around and saw Luke already walking back down the hill.

"What do you mean?" Rey asked, causing Luke to stop.

He answered but did not turn back towards her. "It is one thing to dream what you want, but another to have it in reality. I know what you are here for and what you think you want. It's time to no longer think it, and do it. Do you understand?" He asked, which Rey nodded at. "We have a long journey ahead of us," he said as he continued walking. "Let's not waste anymore time."

Rey then followed, nervous but ready for whatever path lay ahead.


	2. Snoke's Threat

**Chapter II**

 **Snokes Threat**

Silence can be one of the most soothing experiences. It can calm the nerves, bring peace to a wandering mind. On the other hand, it can cause the wandering mind to trail off more, bring visions that you would prefer not to see in your vision.

The dark side of the Force was that silence; a mask that covered every ounce of light that shed its way. For Kylo Ren, he held that mask. It was a mask that he hid behind for many reasons. It expressed everything he had become and what he still wanted to live up to. Behind that mask he became another person, his identity became that of someone else, and his voice matched the identity he chose to portray.

While this identity brought him to amazing highs, it also brought him to disastrous lows, which is where he found himself at that moment. He sat alone in the silence of his quarters in deep thought. He felt as though the walls were closing in on him and was not given enough room to breathe.

"I have failed," he thought to himself. He had sworn to his leader, the Supreme Leader of the First Order, Snoke, that he would not fail his orders. He had failed miserably and against a person who had not even half of the experience as himself.

He had fought Rey in a duel that should have easily been one of his many victories, but he was left defeated and humiliated. He now had to answer for his embarrassment and hope that Snoke had mercy on him.

His moment of reflection was suddenly interrupted by his door, which opened without his permission. Angered by this interruption, he got up ready to scold whomever disturbed him at this very crucial moment.

Before he could utter anything, he saw the man that dared to intrude on him. That man was his leading general, Armitage Hux. Hux walked through the doorway without permission and stood in front of Kylo. The air of arrogance reeking from his very presence.

"Very bold of you general," Kylo said shortly. "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"A message from Lord Snoke," Hux said.

Kylo felt his nerves shift suddenly but he did everything within his power to refrain from showing it to Hux.

"And that message is?" Kylo asked.

"Maybe you should ask him yourself," Hux replied defiantly. "He's here."

Kylo gave a look of both anger and shock at Hux. "Why wasn't I notified?"

"None of us were notified," Hux said. "He showed unexpectedly. He is sitting in his suite, and wishes to speak with you immediately."

Kylo put his head down, trying his best to keep his nerves at bay. It was a battle he knew he had already lost.

"Please inform him that I am on my way," he said.

"Yes, sir," Hux said, quickly turning out of the room to deliver the message.

Not wishing for Snoke to see him in his present emotional state, he placed his mask back on, changed his posture to one far more intimidating and walked his way to Snoke's suite. As he walked he couldn't help but feel that there were many eyes upon him. He looked around and while he thought them to merely be figures of his imagination, his fears turned out to be very true.

As he approached the suite, he could clearly see every eye he passed directly on him. It was as if the many members of the crew already knew what this meeting with Snoke was all about.

Two stormtroopers guarded the door leading to Snoke's suite. Both parted as Kylo approached, allowing him entrance. He did everything he could to exude confidence as he entered.

Kylo walked into Snoke's suite, which was an all glass walled and roofed octagon shaped room. A red carpet led its way to Snoke's thrown, which sat on its own pedestal. His chair faced the glass, staring out into the stars.

Kylo stood at the entrance way, waiting for a response. He did not have to wait long as Snoke's chair turned around, revealing his deformed Master. His appearance always sent a slight shiver down the spine of Kylo. His burned and scarred face stared down at him. He sat in silence for several seconds before even showing any signs of movement.

"Come closer my young apprentice," he said in his deep gravelly voice.

Kylo approached slowly, but tried to keep a confident appearance. When he reached the pedestal, he immediately took a knee, bowing to his Master.

"My orders were very clear," Snoke said.

"I know, my Master," Kylo said in a low tone. "May I have the opportunity to explain myself?"

"You may," Snoke replied rather hotly.

"Our initial assumption of the girls power was quite inadequate," Kylo said. "Her power was far more along than anticipated, I was not ready for it."

"Are you saying I was wrong?" Snoke asked with an edge in his voice.

"Not at all, Master," Kylo responded quickly. "I'm just stating that I was not ready for the challenge. Though I will admit that I should have been."

"Yes you should have," Snoke said. "This should have been an easy task to play out. She has received no training up until this point, and yet, she managed to outmatch you, someone who has received a lifetime of training."

"I agree, Master, and I apologize," Kylo said, ashamed.

"Your apologies are worthless to me," Snoke retorted. "I have made your mission very clear, and I will not be satisfied until it is complete. I do not want to start thinking that I have over-estimated your abilities."

"I will not fail, Master," Kylo said, he could actually hear the pathetic tone he gave.

"We will see," Snoke said. "Bring her to me, and all may be forgiven. Now, get out of my sight."

Kylo did not hesitate. He rose and quickly walked out of the room. He felt as though his feet could not get him out of there fast enough.

Once out of the room, his posture changed, one to a man in charge. An image that everyone else but Snoke saw of him.

"Prepare my ship," he shouted at one of the stormtroopers, who ran ahead of him to complete his orders. "I will prove to him that I will succeed," he thought to himself as he approached his ship, ready to complete his mission as ordered.


	3. Falling Stars

**Chapter III**

 **Falling Stars**

Memories, we feed off of them, cling to them, obsess over them. Each memory brings us back to a time when we were most happy or sad. We close our eyes and hope that the day will come when we can reach those happy moments once more, and overcome the sad moments that ruined our lives.

For Leia, it seemed as though all she had were her memories. She stood on the bridge of her ship, Raddus, all by her lonesome. She had appeared on the bridge before anyone else, and it was these moments that she both welcomed and dreaded.

In these moments, she thought about all the good that had come into her life, and all of the bad as well. The past few years had been nothing but a horror story to her conscious, consistently picking at her heart. She felt that she had lost everything.

Not so long ago, she had hugged her beloved husband before a mission to rescue their son, not knowing that it would be the last time she would ever get to hold him again.

All she could do now was stare into the stars that surrounded her ship, hoping to one day find the happiness in them once more.

Trying to snap herself out of the pain she felt, she closed her eyes and took the deepest breath that she could. When she released it, she opened her eyes, feeling focused. Almost simultaneously, the door to the bridge slid open and she was joined by her highest ranked pilot, Poe Dameron. He rushed in, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you general," he said.

"That's okay," Leia said with a smile. "What is it you need?"

"It's Finn ma'am," he replied. "He's awake."

"Thank you," Leia said, happy at this news. She immediately left the bridge, quickly walking to the Medical Unit.

Finn had been placed under emergency observation due to his injuries sustained in his battle with her son, Kylo. He had been unconscious since the moment of his return.

When she arrived at the Medical Unit, she ushered the nurse and medical bots away, to give them both some privacy. Finn lied in his bed, still looking slightly groggy but alert. His expression looked unsure and confused by Leia's entrance.

"Is there anything else you need from me ma'am?" Poe asked.

"No," Leia replied. "I need to speak with him alone."

Both Poe and Finn looked directly at each other after this response, looking worried. However, Poe did what he was told, closing the door behind him.

"Hello Finn," Leia said, trying to kill the tension. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess," Finn responded. However, his mind immediately raced to the next burning question he had. "Where's Rey?"

"I can't really go into detail on that with you at the moment," Leia said. "But I can tell you this. She is fine, but she's on a mission of her own right now. Hopefully, we'll hear back from her soon."

Finn nodded his head. He didn't seem entirely reassured but was optimistic nonetheless.

"Now, I have a question for you Finn," Leia said, her tone changing and becoming more emotional almost immediately. "You were there with my husband, and you saw my son." As she spoke, she only got more choked up, to where it was almost impossible to carry on, but she kept her heart moving. "What exactly happened?"

Finn could tell how much his answer meant to her, even before he answered. He wanted to tell her the truth, but worried that they would only make her feel worse. With little choice though, he had to tell her.

"When we executed our plan on Starkiller Base, we had everything planted when Kylo Ren approached. We were close to escaping but Han stayed behind. Rey and I could see them standing across from one another but the conversation was muffled from where we were." Finn took a deep breath and continued. "There seemed to be some sort of reconciliation between the two but it was a ploy, and Kylo killed him."

Leia sat down after hearing this, looking torn to pieces. While the death of her husband tore her up, the thought of it being her son that was the cause of it shredded every ounce of hope she had left of saving him from the choice he had made to join Snoke.

Finn merely stared at Leia as she sat in silence. He had no idea what to say to her now, so he remained quiet as she appeared to be contemplating with herself. Her eyes screamed of a person lost within the stars.

Finn's assumption was not far off as Leia felt as though every star in the galaxy that was her life had fallen. She fought with every fiber of her being not to be reduced to tears. She was perceived to be the strong general of the Resistance; the veteran who could withstand anything. She had to keep face and make sure that this was all that her crew saw of her.

"I am sorry, ma'am," Finn said quietly.

Leia nodded her head at this. Before anything else could be said between the two, the loud screech of the ships alarm sounded, deafening to the ears of anyone on the ship. The red, emergency lights blinking feverishly, alerting the crew that they had been found by the First Order.

Leia jumped to her feet, ready to leave the room and face whatever was out there, when something brought her to halt before she reached the door. She stood in place, she had felt a disturbance. Yet, it was not something that was a danger to the crew. It was a disturbance only meant for her.

She felt a familiar presence, one that she knew all too well. Her feelings told her what it was and she didn't know how to react to it.

Finn got up slowly as the alarm continued to sound. He walked to the door, but stared back at Leia, who continued to stand still, staring at the outer wall.

"Ma'am," Finn called out desperately. "Please, we have to go to the bridge."

Leia, hearing Finn, turned to stare at him, her expression full of emotion. "Go," she said. "I'll be behind you."

Finn stared at her with a level of disbelief. At that moment, Poe came into the room.

"The First Order must have found us," he said frantically. "What are your orders?"

Leia, still not entirely focused on them, answered quickly. "Tell Admiral Holdo to take command, I'll be there shortly."

"Ma'am, if I may," Poe started to say but Leia raised a hand to cut him off.

"No you may not," she said sternly. "Now go."

Poe and Finn both left the room, adhering to her orders.

She then closed the door behind them once they were out of sight, locking it. She stared again at the wall. Beyond the wall was the never-ending sea of stars that was the galaxy, but there was something else. She could feel it in her bones.

She closed her eyes, focused beyond the wall. Through the force she immediately knew who was there.

"Hello, son," she said through the force.

Sitting in his ship, aiming at the Medical Unit of the ship, ready to fire, was Kylo. His finger just hovering over the trigger.

"You know your anger won't erase who you really are," she continued.

"Don't lecture me," Kylo spitted. "I've endured enough of your lies. Yours and Uncle Luke's promise of hope. There is no hope in the light, only in darkness."

"Pride comes before the fall," Leia said. "Don't let this consume you. You may have taken away your father, my husband, but you will not take me away. I will always be with you."

"Not anymore," Kylo whispered.

"Well then, pull the trigger, see what happens," Leia responded. "My love for you will always burn, and will always be there with you, whether you like or not. It will only grow if you strike me down."

"More lies, lies of your love, you never loved me," Kylo said angrily.

"You always were defiant, but defiance won't lead you to the truth," Leia said.

"I know the truth," Kylo said. "I've known it for a very long time. I know who I am, I know my destiny, and I know what I have to do to reach it."

"Well than do it," she responded. "What are you waiting for?"

Kylo did nothing, he sat still, feeling blank inside. He knew his mission, but there was an inner conflict at war within himself, blinding him.

He closed his eyes, and through the force he saw his very own mother. She stood idly, staring at him, her expression mirroring his. He allowed himself this one last visual of his mother. He then closed himself off to her, cutting her away from seeing him.

He closed his eyes again, and with one last deep breath, he pressed his thumb to the trigger.

No longer able to see her son, she could now feel what was coming towards her. Time seemed to slow down around her. She stood straight, ready to welcome her fate. As slow as the shot took to reach her, death was even slower. She could see and feel the force of it rip the wall from the ship, but did not hear the noise. She felt mute to it.

The air suddenly dropped from the room and the exposed galaxy ripped her from that very room into the cold darkness of space. She looked out into the stars one finale time before welcoming the death of human body.

Still sitting in a stunned silence, with his eyes still closed, Kylo felt depleted. What he had just done felt as though it took almost all of his energy to accomplish. He put his hands over his face, contemplating everything that had transpired.

"You had to do it," he said to himself. "Now you are free."

As he said this, he felt a relief of sorts come over him. He now sat up, became refocused, opening his eyes.

He opened his eyes and immediately fell out of his chair in fear as the ghostly image of his mother stared eye to eye with him from outside the ship. Out of desperation, he looked and reached for his lightsaber, and when he looked back up, she was gone.

He looked around the ship in fear, searching every corner, but she did not appear again. He sat back down, trying his best to compose himself. He then did everything to convince himself that it was only his imagination. He could only hope that he was right.


End file.
